


Territorial

by Tarlan



Category: Blood Ties (TV)
Genre: Angst, Community: hc_bingo, Community: smallfandomfest, M/M, Trope Bingo Round 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 06:14:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4468358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry didn't realize he was missing having someone at his side until he met Michael Celluci</p>
            </blockquote>





	Territorial

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spikedluv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/gifts).



> Written for Spikedluv's **smallfandomfest** prompt: FEST17  
>  **trope_bingo** prompt: bite mark/bruise  
>  **hc_bingo** prompt: unconsciousness

Henry could still taste Celluci's blood in his mouth even though he had fed many times over since the incident with Mendoza and the iluminación del sol device. He could still remember his scent, from the sometimes overpowering, cheap aftershave down to the subtle pheromones unique to the man. Even after two years in Seattle, Mike Celluci was still his last thought before he fell into daylight sleep and his first upon awakening as the sun set over the city.

Not Vicki.

He thought about her often, wanting to know how she was faring in her battle against the demons trying to enter this world. He cared for her even though she had chosen Celluci over him. Occasionally he had given in to the desire and asked his contacts in Toronto to send an update, but he never asked about Celluci, living off the crumbs of news filtered from reports on Vicki.

The most recent update had filled him with frustration because it held no mention of Celluci, and concerns for the annoying detective had sucked away all enthusiasm for working on his latest graphic novel. Fortunately the deadline was still some weeks away so he had time to wallow in self-misery and self-recrimination. He needed to know what had happened between Vicki and Celluci, and for a moment he debated returning to Toronto just for a few days to find out.

Encroaching on another vampire's territory was inadvisable at the best of times, and Henry felt unsettled simply from realizing how little that matter compared to his need to know what had happened to Celluci. Of course he could ask his Toronto contacts to verify Celluci's whereabouts but that would be admitting openly that he cared for the human, and he hated himself for this weakness. He wasn't certain who he was trying to fool though. After four hundred and seventy-four years, he would have thought he understood himself and his needs extremely well. Yet, when he finally forced himself to explore those feelings he could only liken his interest in Celluci to his former human feelings for his maker, Christina.

Love.

Henry let his forehead rest against the drawing board. Now the word was out in the open, his muddled emotions became crystal clear.

"I'm too old for Epiphanies," he murmured aloud, lightly banging his head against the drawing board.

It wasn't a gender issue for he'd long ago swept aside such Puritan notions. It didn't matter to him what genitalia a person had - male or female - seeing the inner beauty of the individual rather than their physical appearance. Admittedly his eye was caught at first by classically attractive individuals, calling to his artistic side, but his heart quickly saw beneath the fragile shell of skin and bone to the beauty of the person.

He pulled back and looked at the latest panel, realizing he was still using mental images of Mike Celluci in his art, but no longer giving that look-alike character a gruesome end. Apparently his subconscious had figured it out long before the rest of him and had been giving him hints for months. Perhaps he had simply not wanted to learn the truth, until now.

He reached for the phone and made his call, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, and when he finished, he hung his head in despair. Leaving Toronto had seemed the best decision at the time, severing most of the ties to that old life to start a new one in another city, except that hadn't worked. He was still tied emotionally to Vicki and Coreen - but mostly to Celluci.

While he waited for his contact to make inquiries on his behalf, Henry turned back to the latest panel. The main figures were already drawn and all he needed now was to color them, matching them to the earlier panels in the story, but he stopped and picked up his sketch book. Flipping through sketches he was surprised to see how many were of Celluci - clothed and unclothed. Not that he had ever seen Celluci fully naked, but he had seen enough to fill in where necessary - a torn shirt after a fight with a demon revealing the broad, almost hairless chest; the shape of his ass and upper thighs as he bent over to examine a piece of evidence; his hands - and feet.

Henry laughed softly, recalling Celluci stripping off sodden shoes and socks in disgust after wading through the sewers looking for yet another Wendigo, and wiggling his toes in disgust. He'd caught glimpses of more through the slit in the slightly opened bedroom door when Celluci stripped to take a shower.

All of these body parts had featured in this latest graphic novel, along with his handsome, square-jawed face, silky blond hair, and soft blue eyes.

The phone rang and he picked it up, listening carefully, and feeling his heart speed up in concern.

"Which hospital?"

After the call Henry tapped his lip with his pen as he considered all he had learned. A demon had terrorized a family, and Vicki had called on Celluci for assistance. Between her and Coreen they had sent the demon back to Hell but not before it had taken a swipe at Celluci, knocking him unconscious. Two days had passed since then, but instead of recovering he had fallen into a coma brought on by the poison in the demon's claws.

Mike was dying.

Over all these centuries Henry had watched loved ones die, sometimes after a long, fulfilling life while others were taken before their time. He had mourned all of them but had accepted this as the price for his immortality. He knew he would lose Vicki one day and had accepted it, but the thought of losing Mike was almost too much to bear. Decision made, he booked a night flight to Toronto leaving within the hour.

He arrived in the early hours of the morning, leaving him barely two hours before the sun rose, and he was aware of the scent of another vampire in the city from the moment he stepped off the plane. He hoped he could reason with them, asking for a single day, but he was prepared to kill if necessary - for Mike. he knew the city intimately, traveling with vampire speed to the hospital and gaining entrance easily despite the lateness of the hour. he didn't need to ask directions, honing in on the scent of both Mike and Vicki until he was standing on the threshold.

"Henry?" Vicki blinked at him awkwardly, eyes bruised by tiredness and fear.

He could sense her grief, overshadowed momentarily from the pleasure of seeing him, welcoming someone who could understand and share her sorrow and fear.

"Coreen's still looking for a cure but..." she trailed off as the monitors dipped lower as Mike's body gave up its fight.

In a single moment of clarity, Henry knew what he had to do even though it went against his former beliefs. Before Vicki could question him, he moved with vampire speed to unhook Mike from the monitors, pick him up, and was gone. he kept away from the public hallways, quickly making his way out into the darkness to head towards the safe house of an old friend.

Dr. Betty Sagara welcomed him inside immediately, and he moved swiftly to a windowless room she kept for him in case of an emergency.

"Is that Detective Celluci?"

"He's dying."

He laid Mike onto the bed, seeing her concerned frown as she took in the hospital gown that barely covered Mike's tall, broad frame. Henry looked closer, noticing the ribbons of black distending the veins as the poison circulated through him. He knew Mike had barely an hour of life before his body succumbed to death, and Henry could not allow that to happen. Firmly he ushered Betty from the room, locking the door behind him. He sat down on the bed beside the comatose man, lifting Mike into his arms. Mike's head flopped sideways, offering the vulnerable pulse point and Henry bit down, sucking the poisoned blood into his own body where it was neutralized. With Mike so close to death now, hanging by a slender thread on life, Henry released Mike so he could bite into his own inner wrist before pressing the open, bleeding wound to Mike's pale, bloodless lips.

For a moment nothing happened, and then he felt the lips move, drawing the blood slowly at first, then faster, harder as the vampire blood destroyed his human body and was reborn as a vampire. He pulled his arm away before Mike drained him dry, finding intensely blue eyes staring back at him like Indian sapphires, glowing with preternatural beauty.

"Fitzroy?"

"Detective."

Henry noticed Mike's eyes drop to his lips hungrily, and it seemed the most natural instinct to allow Mike to capture his lips, a different kind of hunger driving both of them that sent them spiraling into ecstasy. Afterwards they fell into a stupor, wrapped in each other's arms as the sun rose in the world beyond this room, and only awakening when it set many hours later.

Weak from taking the tainted blood and giving it back clean, Henry woke to feel blunt fingers caressing his face, opening his eyes to meet Mike's steady gaze.

"I thought you had this thing against making other vampires," Mike stated softly.

"I made an exception for you," he replied in an equally gentle tone, reaching out to run a single finger down Mike's pale cheek.

After all the friction between them when Henry lived in Toronto, Henry hadn't expected this easy acceptance, or the hands that reached for him and drew him back into a strong embrace. They kissed lazily, taking time to explore each other, and letting the pleasure wash over them until they were both sated and lethargic.

They both needed to feed, but on the periphery of his senses Henry could feel the presence of the other vampire who had claimed this territory drawing closer. A moment of sorrow passed through Henry because, eventually, he would feel this same instinctive animosity towards Mike, forcing them to go their separate ways.

"We must leave."

When he opened the door, Betty was waiting for him with fresh clothing, and he drew her into his arms, holding her tightly in thanks. He knew she was coming to the end of her mortal life and he might never see her again, but she understood his reticence to make her one of his kind. Perhaps the reason why he loved her so much was because she did not want this cursed gift. Whether Mike had wanted it or not was immaterial now, and Henry knew it was his duty as Mike's maker to ensure he nurtured the fledgling vampire until the territorial urge drove them apart.

They dressed quickly, but not fast enough. Henry tensed as he sensed the other vampire close by. He had hoped to avoid a confrontation altogether but some vampires were more territorial than others.

"Wait here," he ordered Mike, aware the other might have centuries of experience and strength compared to Mike.

Silently he cursed his own weakened state, blinking in surprise when he scented fresh blood.

Betty offered her arm. "Take it. You need it."

Henry could see Mike clenching his fists, desperately holding himself back from taking what was offered, and Henry's love for him swelled with pride. Taking just a few mouthfuls from Betty was enough to strengthen him, and he gave her one final kiss on the cheek before sweeping out into the night to confront their adversary.

Henry braced himself as a blur of movement became a dark-clothed figure of a man whose youthful looks were as deceiving as his own. The sneer curling one corner did not bode well for a civilized conversation but Henry knew he had to try. He opened his arms and offered the other vampire his most gracious smile.

"I have no intention of staying here. I have concluded my business and will be leaving immediately, so there's no need for us to fight."

"Not good enough." The other snarled, baring sharp teeth. "I can sense the one you made, and once I have finished with you, I will tear your fledgling to pieces."

Henry sighed, hoping it wouldn't come to this.

The attack came swiftly but Henry was fully prepared, meeting the threat head on. They slammed into each other, twisting in the air as they tried to tear into each other. Sharp nails sliced open his chest and wickedly pointed teeth grazed against his throat before Henry threw the other back. He could tell the other had fortified himself in readiness for this fight, feeding perhaps only minutes before this battle commenced, and Henry could feel the few sips of Betty's blood strengthening him in turn; he hoped it would be enough. Fortune was on his side as he could tell this vampire was barely half his age, and Henry used those centuries to his advantage, calling upon all he had learned in almost five centuries.

Perhaps from youthful arrogance, the other made a mistake, and Henry snapped his neck cleanly. It wasn't enough to kill but it left the other vulnerable for a killing blow; Henry stayed his hand.

"I don't want to destroy you. I... We are leaving now."

The other cracked his neck, slowly climbing to his feet as Henry turned to walk away.

"You are a fool." He moved swiftly, reaching Betty before Henry could react, and snapping her neck.

Rage followed shock as the vampire moved straight on to attack Mike, and this time Henry did not hold back, using every tactic he'd learned over the centuries to drive the other back before he reached Mike, not stopping until he had ripped the other's head from his shoulders. Casting the head aside, Henry moved swiftly to drop down beside Betty's broken body, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight. he felt Mike kneel down beside him, leaning into the arms that wrapped around him in turn as Henry grieved for another life cut short before her time.

As there was no longer any need to leave, Henry carried Betty back inside her home, gently setting her down on her bed.

"This is all my fault," Mike stated.

"No. It's just the way it is for our kind."

****

Henry destroyed all evidence of the other vampire by leaving his body out for the sun to find, and used his mind control skills to convince the doctor and coroner that Betty had died of a heart attack, peacefully in her sleep. Vicki and Coreen attended the funeral on his behalf, and they spent the next few nights together - all four of them - reminiscing and planning.

"You could stay now," Coreen mentioned, but Henry had a new life in Seattle and Mike no longer had a life here in Toronto.

They left Toronto a week later, heading back to Seattle, though this time Henry made no attempt to sever the ties between them and Vicki. He had no need to because Vicki closed down her Detective Agency in Toronto and set up a new one in Seattle with Coreen, offering Mike a partnership.

As the months went by, Henry waited for their idyllic life to shatter as the territorial instincts of the vampire took over, savoring every moment he spent with Mike in his arms. When the first anniversary came and went, he still felt none of the urge to kill Mike overtake him. They bickered sometimes, even had one memorable heated argument, but no murderous desires. Instead their bond grew deeper and stronger, sometimes spending whole nights kissing and caressing when Mike had no casework, and all day sleeping in each other's arms.

****

Several more months passed and Henry reached out to another old and trusted friend who kept the ledger detailing which territories were taken, and which available. He had heard of no other cases within the known history of the vampires where two had survived so closely together for more than a year.

Years passed, then decades, and centuries, measured in accomplishments as they forced Asteroth and his demons back to Hell and slammed closed the gate. The world changed around them as they grieved for those mortals they had loved and lost, and rejoiced in new friendships forged. Each new era brought risks of discovery but they quickly blended in.

It was everything Henry had always wanted. Someone to remain by his side, someone he could love forever, yet not just anyone. He had Mike Celluci, and as he walked in darkness with Mike beside him, guided by moon and starlight, he decided his vampire existence was not a curse after all, but a gift.

END

 


End file.
